Course Syllabus

Cross-Cultural Psychology

Semester & Location:	Summer 2019 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Elective Course - 3 credits
Core Course Study Tours:	Berlin
Major Disciplines:	Ethnic Studies, Psychology
Faculty Members:	Salman Ahmad
Program Director:	Carla Caetano
Time & Place:	Classroom V10-D11

Description of Course

What is the role of culture in understanding how people function – our self-perceptions, relationships, personality, and psychological well-being? How are people’s lives, minds and behaviors affected by intercultural encounters, cultural transitions and cross-cultural mobility in a globalized world? And what is “culture” from a psychological viewpoint, after all?

In this course, we will critically examine the importance of culture for psychological processes, focusing both on cross-cultural comparisons and the ways people enact and shape their cultural identities in everyday life. We will examine the role cultural processes play with regard to socialization, family and youth, self-perceptions, clinical psychology and gender dynamics. We will also explore the local context, focusing on immigration to Europe, Denmark and Copenhagen, community interventions in the city, as well as the situation of multicultural youths growing up in Denmark and Copenhagen.

We will analyze the underlying assumptions in cross-cultural psychology, and the consequences that these have for research and practice. The cross-cultural approach contains important dilemmas. For example, can cultural differences between groups be acknowledged without engaging in over-generalizing? Are the variations between different cultural groups bigger than the variations between the individual members of these groups? By attempting to account for differences between cultures, does the cross-cultural approach result in (re-)producing stereotypes?

Our own cultural practices can be as invisible to us as the air we breathe, yet their impact is profound. It takes a special open-minded approach to fully appreciate the impact culture has on our lives as well as on those with different cultural backgrounds.  You should emerge from this course with an increased appreciation of how culture influences individual as well as group behavior. You should also emerge with a greater ability to understand and navigate the impact of culture on everyday behavior. 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will:

• Acquire an overview of the central theories, methodologies, issues and research areas in cross-cultural psychology
• Explore issues related to cross-cultural psychology within Denmark and Germany
• Critically reflect, compare, analyze and integrate perspectives from different approaches to theory and practice regarding culture and psychology
• Reflect on the role of culture in designing and implementing psychological interventions, from psychotherapy to working with culturally diverse communities

Faculty

Salman Ahmad has a PhD in Psychology and has worked as a faculty member and consultant with various educational, business and social organizations across South Asia, the Middle-East and Europe. He is now based in Denmark and has been teaching and consulting in the areas of psychology, leadership and organizational development with a special interest in issues related to identity, complexity, inclusion and intercultural encounters. He is an external lecturer at Copenhagen Business School, Chief Consultant at Living Institute and a faculty member with the department of psychology at DIS.

Email: sah@dis.dk

Phone: +45 4128 4793

 

Readings

Required Textbook (available at DIS Library):

• Heine, S. J. (2012). Cultural Psychology (2^nd). New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company

Research Articles:

• Adamopoulos, J. & Lonner, W. J. (2001). Culture and psychology at a crossroad: Historical perspective and theoretical analysis. In D. Matsumoto (Ed). The Handbook of culture and psychology (pp. 11-34). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Minkov, M., Blagoev, V. & Hofstede, G. (2012). The Boundaries of culture: Do questions about societal norms reveal cultural differences? Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 1-13.
• Gelfand, M. J. (2012). Culture’s Constraints. International Differences in the Strength of Social Norms. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 21(6), 420-424.
• Satrapi, M. (2004). Persepolis. New York: Pantheon Books. (pp.143-197) (Excerpt from a graphic novel).
• Smith, R.A. & Khawaja, N. J. (2011). A review of acculturation experiences of international students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(1), 699-713.
• Miller et al. (2010). Narrative Reverberations. How Participation in Narrative Practices co-creates Persons and Cultures. In Kitayama, S. & Cohen, D. (eds.) Handbook of Cultural Psychology (pp.595-614). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
• Steammler, J. (2011, August 12). Berlin 1961-2011: The Wall between generations. Die Zeit. Retrieved from http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/855391-wall-between-generations.
• Vogel, N., Gerstorf, D., Ram, N., Goebel, J., & Wagner, G. G. (2017). Terminal decline in well-being differs between residents in East Germany and West Germany. International Journal Of Behavioral Development, 41(1), 115-126.
• Berdahl, D. (1999). (N)Ostalgie for the present: Memory, longing, and East German things. In Ethnos: Journal of Anthropology, 64(2), 192-211.
• Frie, R. (2012). Memory and responsibility: Navigating identity and shame in the German-Jewish experience. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 29(2), 206-225.
• Emminghaus, W. B., Kimmel, P. R., & Stewart, E. C. (1997). Primal violence: Illuminating culture's dark side. Peace And Conflict: Journal Of Peace Psychology, 3(2), 167-191.Parent, M., DeBlaere, C., & Moradi, B. (2013).
• Approaches to Research on Intersectionality: Perspectives on Gender, LGBT, and Racial/Ethnic Identities. Sex Roles, 68(11/12), 639-645.
• Koydemir, S. (2013). Acculturation and subjective well-being: the case of Turkish ethnic youth in Germany. Journal of Youth Studies, 16(4), 460-473.
• Dimitrova, R., Aydinli, A., Chasiotis, A., Bender, M., & van de Vijver, F. R. (2015). Heritage identity and maintenance enhance well-being of Turkish-Bulgarian and Turkish-German adolescents. Social Psychology, 46(2), 93-103.
• Verkooijen, K., Nielsen, G, Vries, de V., & Bloomfield, K. (2007). Alcohol use among Danish adolescents: A self- and social identity perspective. In Järvinen, M & Room, R. (Ed.). Youth Drinking Cultures. European Experiences (pp.1-16) Hampshire: Ashgate.
• Demant, J & Ravn, S. (2013). Communicating Trust Between Parents and Their Children: A Case Study of Adolescents' Alcohol Use in Denmark. Journal of Adolescent Research, Vol. 28 No. 3, (pp. 325-347).
• Lips, H. & Lawson, K. (2011). Chapter 11. Women across Cultures. In K. Keith (Ed.) Cross-Cultural Psychology: Contemporary Themes and Perspectives (pp. 213-234). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
• Littleford, L. N. & Kite, M. (2011). Chapter 12. Experiences of Sexual Minorities in Diverse Cultures. In K. Keith (Ed.) Cross-Cultural Psychology: Contemporary Themes and Perspectives (pp. 235-256). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
• Hays, P. (2009). Integrating Evidence-Based Practice, Cognitive–Behavior Therapy, and Multicultural Therapy: Ten Steps for Culturally Competent Practice. In Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, Vol. 40(4), (pp. 354–360).
• Moore, A. M., & Barker, G. G. (2012). Confused or multicultural: Third culture individuals’ cultural identity. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 36(4), 553-562.
• Behrnd, V. & Porzelt, S. (2012). Intercultural competence and training outcomes of students with experiences abroad. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 36(2), 213-223.

Field Studies

1. Trampoline House - Copenhagen Refugee Community

• Cultural identities and the challenge of integration
• Perspectives on migration patterns, ethno-cultural diversity and policies in the city of Copenhagen

2. Muhabet – activity centre for traumatized refugees

• The specifics of working with traumatized refugees
• Challenges in practicing multicultural psychotherapy

 

Study Tour: A five-day tour to Berlin, Germany 

Using the city of Berlin as a base, you will explore intercultural interaction from several perspectives. You will also learn about the cultural challenges of the reunification of East and West Germany and discuss the role of history (with focus on the Second World War and the Holocaust) in shaping German and Jewish cultural identities.

Objectives of the study tour: Explore, analyse and discuss the role of history in shaping contemporary identities in Germany with an emphasis on:

• German history and narrative and the shaping of its cultural identity
• East and West Germany: division and reunification
• Jewish cultural identity
• The challenges faced by minorities in Berlin
• Contemporary diversity in Berlin

Orientation: You will have a presentation in the class session just before departure. During this time, you will hear an overview of the week and important departure details regarding what to bring, where and when to meet at the airport. You will then be given the final booklet with all details for each day of the tour.

Guest Lecturers

1. Pouya Javadi on‘Growing up in Denmark’
2. Shima Behbahani on‘Social Norms and Danish Youth Culture’

 

Approach to Teaching

Interactive teaching presupposes active participation from the students. For this reason, you are expected to critically reflect on the theory, research and practice presented in class. We will use multiple teaching methods such as lectures, field studies, classroom discussions, movies, book excerpts and cartoons to analyze the psychological dynamics in narratives dealing with intercultural encounters and cross-cultural mobility. An important focus of the course is experiential learning where you apply the material and discussions from the classroom to your own lived experience – both from other settings and from your time in Copenhagen. Our efforts will be to create a safe and open environment for exchange of ideas and learning and any comments or suggestions from you at any time would be most welcome.

 

Expectations of the Students

In this course, each and every one of us has an equal responsibility to facilitate the most optimal learning outcomes. Students are expected to:

• complete all reading assignments prior to class and be attentive in class
• make reference to the readings to support the points you are making when responding to questions
• contribute to class discussions and group activities
• draw upon your interactions and observations from daily life in Denmark to compliment theory, research, and practice
• work independently and be active in group work
• read guidelines for assignments posted on Canvas
• be punctual and attend all classes

 

Evaluation and Grading

Assignment	How evaluated	Date	Percentage of grade
Participation and Engagement	Individual	Ongoing	15%
Short Answers Test	Individual	June 14	20%
Study Tour Leadership	Group	June 17-21	20%
Study Tour Booklet Assignment	Individual	June 24	15%
Final Test: Short-Answers and Discussion Questions	Individual	July 01	30%
Total			100%

Participation and Engagement (15%)

Your attendance and active participation are essential in all aspects of this course including class sessions, field studies, group work and general contribution to the progress of the class. Questions and discussion are expected from students. You are also expected to come prepared to class, having done the required readings and homework.

You are expected to take an active role in your own learning. This includes participating actively but not dominating class discussion, doing your share in group work and having a positive attitude toward the course and other members of the class. In short, active participation is a requirement, and attendance in all classes, field studies and the study tour is mandatory. See Canvas for grading criteria on class participation.

Short Answers Test (20%)

The goal of the test is to check how you are grasping the readings and other material presented in class. While the main goal of the course is to enable students to analyze, compare and integrate theories in cross-cultural psychology, attaining this objective presupposes comprehension and basic knowledge of the theories and research covered in class.

Use of study materials will not be allowed during the test. The test will cover everything discussed in class (including lectures, guest speakers, and field studies) as well as the assigned readings up until the date of the exam.

It is important that you keep up with the readings and take detailed notes on both the readings and lectures; but it is even more important that you ask the teacher if you are not sure whether you have understood a reading or a theory presented in class.

Study Tour Assignments (35%)

The study tour has two main assignments:

1) Study Tour Leadership (20%):  You will be working with other students in a group. This component consists of a variety of tasks including (for one or two visits) introducing yourself to the visit host, introducing the visit or presentation to the class, asking questions during the visit or presentation, and leading the class in a discussion immediately following the visit.

2) Study Tour Booklet (15%): You will be given an observation booklet in which you need to answer questions, takes notes on the study tour activities, and write reflections on your experiences in which you connect each visit to lectures and readings. This is an individual activity.

Final Exam (30%)

The exam will consist of a combination of short answer questions and discussion questions. The discussion questions will be available before the exam, and you will have the possibility to choose one of them and prepare in advance. Use of study materials will not be allowed during the exam.

The exams will cover everything discussed in class (including lectures, guest speakers, study tour and site visits) as well as the assigned readings. It is critical that you keep up with the readings and take detailed notes on both the readings and lectures.

To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all of the assigned work.

 

Academic Regulations  

Disability and Resource Statement

Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact Academic Support (acadsupp@dis.dk) to coordinate this.  In order to receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor of approved DIS accommodations within the first week of classes.

Attendance

You are expected to attend all DIS classes when scheduled.  If you miss a class for any reason, please contact the faculty no later than the day of the missed class. Allowances will be made in cases of illness, but in the case of multiple absences, you will need to provide a doctor’s note.

Academic Honesty, Plagiarism, and Violating the Rules of an Assignment
DIS expects that students abide by the highest standards of intellectual honesty in all academic work. DIS assumes that all students do their own work and credit all work or thought taken from others. See the Academic Handbook for more information, or ask your instructor if you have questions.

Policy on Late Papers

Late papers will not be accepted.

Policy for Students Who Arrive Late to Class

Tardiness will negatively affect your participation grade.

Regarding Technology and Presence in the Classroom

To establish a positive learning environment it is important that everyone is present (in body and mind) and not distracted by technology or other disruptive behaviors. Please observe the following simple rules:

• Please plan on staying for the full class time and take care of bathroom visits (and such) before class or during breaks. Of course, you can leave if it is urgent.
• Computers are a huge source of distraction. Therefore, computers are not permitted in class during regular class sessions. Occasionally you will work in groups or conduct other activities where a computer may be permitted. You will be informed when this is the case.
• Cell phones are not permitted outside your backpack/pocket/purse while in the classroom. Please turn off your cell phone and put it away before coming to class. If you are expecting an emergency call or text during class let me know so we can discuss an exception to this policy for that class.